Fourth to r



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

o. W. BROWN. Y MACHINE FOR DRYING AND CLEANING COTTON.

No. 556,528. PatentedMau. 17. 1896.

.vy/lllllllllIlIllll/llllll/llllIlIlllll/Illl/llllllll/Illlll/lllll/lllfllllIl/llllI/rlllrlllrlrl 9 t e e h S w e e h S A 2 w 0 R B C.

(No Model.)

MACHINE PORl DRYING AND CLEANING COTTON.

No. 555,528. Patented Mar. 17, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

onARLES W. BROWN, OE NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, AsSIoNOR OE ONE- EOURTH roR, L. HEELLN, OE SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR DRYING AND CLEANING COTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,528, dated March17, 1896.

Application tiled May 23,1895. Serial No. 550,416. (No model.) d

To LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State ofLouisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinesfor Drying and Cleaning Cotton; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention consists in the novel features of construction andcombination of parts hereinafter fully described, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which illustrate one form in which I havecontemplated embodying my invention, and said invention is fullydisclosed in the following description and claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents a longitudinal verticalsectional view of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 representsa horizontal longitudinal sectional view of the same, parts being shownin elevation. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View of one of the pneumaticvfeeding brushes. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of thecondensing-rollers. Fig. 5 is a detail vieW of the slide for closing theslot in the casing through Which an arm from the shakingscreen projects.Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the drying-chamber,showing a bleaching-chamber interposed between the drying-chamber andthe condenser.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for picking,cleaning and drying cotton which has been injured by re and Water butthe apparatus may also be used for any other similar purposes for whichit may be found desirable.

In the drawings, A represents a tight box or casing, which I term thedrying-box, and adjacent to one end of the same is supported the hopperB, of any desired form, provided at its lower end With adelivery-aperture. In

the delivery-aperture is located a positivelyoperated feeding-roller C,Which is preferably provided With teeth or projections, and adjacentthereto is a movable slide or grate b, which can be moved toward or fromthe feedroller to regulate the amount of cotton Withdrawn from thehopper by the said feedingroller.

D D are a pair of compressing-rollers located in such a position thatthe feed-roller C will feed the cotton into the bite of said compressingrollers, 4which Wring out the moisture from the cotton. Adjacent to therolls D D is a trough D2 provided With an outlet-pipe CZ for conductingaway the water squeezed out by the rolls. The upper roll D is preferablymounted in vertically-movable bearings, so as to be able to yieldslightly to accommodate thick portions of cotton passing between thecompressing-rolls, and said upper roll may be forced downward by springsengaging its bearings, if found necessary or desirable.

Between the rolls D D and the drying-chamber I provide two cylindricalcasings, com- 1n unicating with each other. AIn the first of these is apicker-roll E, provided on the periphery with teeth having their endsbent as shown, so that they can disintegrate the cotton and leave it ina loose condition. In the other casing is a pneumatic feeding-brush,consisting, in this instance, of a cylindrical core or body providedalternately with fanblades f and brushes f', as shown best in Fig. Thisbrush is made to revolve in such relation with the picker-roll as tobrush the loose cotton off from the hooked points of the teeth, and thefan-blades create a blast of air which assists in feeding the cottonalong into the casing A of the drying-chamber through an aperture a.

Vithin the casing A and adjacent to the aperture ct is a horizontalendless apron or carrier G, preferablyl formed of Wire-gauze netting orother perforate material and provided With spikes or teeth g. This apronis driven by theend rollers g g', over which it passes, and I provide aseries of intermediate idlerollers g2 g2 to support the upper lap of theconveyer and the cotton carried thereon.

Beneath the conveyor G are a series of steam-coils I-lf connected with asteam-supply pipe h and a return-pipe h, Which heat the air Within thedrying-chamber and dry the cotton on thev endless conveyer during itspassage through the machine.

In order to facilitate the drying of the cot- IOO ton, I provide ashaker or rake K for agitating the cotton upon the conveyer. Thisconsists in this instance of a frame K, having its upper face coveredwith wire gauze or netting 7s, and provided on its lower face with aseries of teeth k set at an incline with the frame of the rake orshaker. rlhe fralne is supported by hangers 7a2 k2 from cross-rods 7a37c3 or other suitable supports, so as to be free to vibratelongitudinally of the drying-chamber. The vibrations of the rake orshaker are effected by means of a crank or eccentric on one of therevolving' shafts of the machine-in this instance bya crank Z on theshaft of the pneumatic feedingbrush F, from which motion is nimparted bya link L (see Figs. 2 and 5) to an arm Z eXtendin g from the rake-framethrough a slot a in the side of the casing. In order to close this slotso as to prevent the escape of air at this point, I provide a slide Z2,longer than the slot a', mounted in guides ZiS on the side of casing Aand having a small aperture for the passage of the arm l therethrough.As the rake is vibrated, this slide is moved backward and forward, butin all positions closes the slot a. The inclined teeth 7c of the shakerwill catch up the cotton 011 the endless carrier and loosen it up, so asto detach any dirt, cinders, or other impurities, and keep it in aloosened condition so as to facilitate its drying. The wire-gauzecovering of the rake or shaker will allow the impurities to passthrough, but will prevent the cotton from be ing drawn upward by theascending air-currents.

A strong suction-blast is provided in the drying-chamber to draw out themoist air and all dirt, d ust, and other impurities. This isaccomplished in this instance by means of a suctionfan M in the upperpart of the casing A driven by suitable gearing and arranged to draw theair out of the casing A and force it out through an exhaust-port m,which is provided with a valve m', so that it can be partially orcompletely closed, as desired.

Below the fan M the rear wall of the casing A is provided with a shelfor a series of shelves N (one being shown) upon which the heavierparticles of the impurities may fall, and the casin g is provided with amanhole or door A', by opening which access may be had to such shelf orshelves to clean the same.

At the rear end of the conveyer G is a pneumatic feeding brush or rollerO, constructed similarly to the brush or roller F, arranged to brush thecotton from the teeth of the conveyer and feed it through a suitableaperture a2, provided with chute-boards ai a3, into thecondensing-chamber P, which is a tight box or casing containing thecondensingaollers P and P2, between which the cotton passes. Theserollers are arranged to further dry the cotton and condense it and feedthe condensed cotton through an aperture p into a suitable receptacle.The roller P is hollow and has hollow trunnions or sleeves p mounted instationary bearings, as shown best in Fig. 4.

Through the hollow sleeves are passed a steam-pipe Q and an exhaust-pipeQ', the said sleeves being provided with suitable stufing-boxes, asshown. The exhaust-pipe Q is bent downward to a point very close to thewall of the cylinder or roller P', so that the pressure of steam withinthe cylinder will force the water of condensation out through theexhaust-pipe Q. Above the roller P is the roller P2, which is mounted invertical movable bearings, so as to accommodate itself to differentthicknesses of cotton passing through the rolls, and the said upperroller may be provided with springs 193193, en gagin g its bearings, asshown, if desired.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a slight modification of my invention, in which ableaching-chamber is interposed between the drying-chamber and thecondenser for the purpose of bleaching the cotton before it isdischarged from the machine. In this figure R represents thebleaching-chamber, which commu nicates at one side with thedrying-chamber and at the other `with the condenser. I prefer to provideIth/e bleaching-chamber with a pair of endless aprons or conveyers r andfr', composed.preferably of canvas and wood, so as not to" be affectedby the bleaching fumes, and th/e interior of the bleaching-chamber willbe so onstructed as not to be affected by said modate the differingthickness of cotton, as indicateckin dotted lines, and it will only benecessary to drive a roller or rollers of the lower apron\.\

S represent a retort in which the fumes of sulphur are generated in anyusual manner and are conducted to the bleaching-chamber by a pipe s. Thepipe s may have a waterjacket (not shown) or other cooling device forreducing the temperature of the sulphur fumes, if desired. Thefumes areintroduced into the bleaching-chamber at the front of the same and belowthe cotton as it passes through the chamber. After leaving thebleaching-chamber it passes into the bite of the condensing-,rolls andis condensed and further dried, as previously described.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is-

l. In a machine for drying and cleaning iibrous material, thecombination with the drying-ehamber, of a picker-cylinder provided withteeth having points bent at au angle to the main portions thereof, apneumatic feeding-roller interposed between the drying-chamber and thepickerchamber, and a casing surrounding said picker and roller andcommunicating with the drying-chamber, the said roller being providedwith brushes for engaging said bent portions of the pickerteeth toremove the material therefrom, and fan-blades to produce an air-currentto assist in feeding the material inte the drying-011mm ber7substantially as described.

IIO

2. In a machine for drying and cleaning fibrous material, thecombination with the drying-chamberprovided with heatingmeans, anddevices for moving the material therethrough, of a casing communicatingwith the said chamber, a picker in said casing, a pneumaticfeeding-roller in vsaid casing having brushes for engaging the pickerand fanblades for producing an air-current and forcing the same with thematerial into said drying-chamber, and an air-exit for saiddryingchamber, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for cleaning and drying fibrous material the combinationwith the drying-chamber, heating devices therefor and means for movingthe material therethrough, of a casing communicating with said chamber,a picker-cylinder in said casing, and a pneumatic feeding-roller in saidcasing provided with brushes for engaging the pickercylinder, andfan-blades for forcing a current of air with the material into the saidchamber and an air-eXhaustin g device for said dryingchamber,substantially as described.

4. In a machine for cleaning and drying fibrous material, thecombination with the drying-chamber, of a perforate endless conveyerextending longitudinally thereof, a vibrating rake provided with acovering of perforate material, teeth carried by said rake inclined tothe surface of said conveyer, heatfibrous material, the combination withpicking and feeding devices, of the drying-chamber provided with anendless conveyer, a vibrating rake having a gauze covering above theconveyer, an airexhausting device, a shelf below said exhausting devicefor receiving heavy impurities and a manhole giving access to saidshelf, substantially as described.

7. In a machine for drying and cleaning cotton,the combination with thedrying-chamber, of an endless conveyer extending longitudinallytherethrough, a condenser, and a pneumatic feeding-roller engaging saidconveyer and forcing the material removed therefrom into the condenserby means of its aircurrent, substantially as described.

S. In a machine for cleaning and drying fibrous material, thecombination with the drying-chamber having an endless conveyer and arake, suspended above said conveyer, an arm secured to said rake andextending through a slot in the wall of the drying-chamber, meansconnected with said arm for vibrating said rake and a slide connectedwith said arm for closing said slot, substantially as described.

9. In a machine for cleaning and drying fibrous material, thecombination with the picker-roll, of the drying-chamber communieatingtherewith through said chamber, an airforcing device for said chamber, ableachingchamber, a condenser communicating with said drying-chamber anda bleaching-chamber interposed between the drying-chamber and saidcondenser whereby said material is cleaned, dried and bleached duringits passage through the machine, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES WV. BROWN. Vitnesses:

J. C. W ENCK, THos. ENANDINE.

